Leather

How can you tell if the bag you just bought is made of real leather or of other man made materials? Here are some things to look for.

1.    Price – Usually depending on the quality of the leather and the size of the bag, real leather should cost you a pretty penny, so if you’re buying your bag at $20, then I would say it’s a good bet that it’s not real leather.

2.    Smell – Real leather has a distinctive smell to them. Sometimes it can be strong and sometimes it is a bit lighter, but usually there is a musky smell to them.

3.    Check the otherside of the bag – Most of the time it’s not possible because most bags are lined on the inside with a different type of material, but behind the lining, on the other side of the leather should feel and look like suede material.

4.    Try scratching your bag with your nail – If it leaves a mark and fades slowly over time, then it’s real, however if it doesn’t leave any type of mark, you’ve go pleather on your hands.

5.    Check the inside – Most of the time, if you’re purchasing an all leather bag versus just a leather trimmed one, there is a little tag on the inside that says genuine leather.

It can be harder and harder to tell now and days because the man made materials are getting better and better to the real thing. But if you’re like me, you still want to know if what you’re paying for is the real thing.